Police say gunfire erupted inside an Edible Arrangements around 10:45 a.m. Friday.
MINT HILL, NC — A man was shot and killed and two Mint Hill police officers were wounded Friday during a child custody exchange at a shopping center east of Charlotte. The shooting unfolded inside an Edible Arrangements store just before 11 a.m., after the man opened fire and officers shot back, authorities said.
The incident rattled this suburban town of about 27,000, where police said a routine handoff escalated within minutes. The officers were first listed in critical condition but later upgraded to stable at area hospitals, according to the department. Investigators worked through the afternoon and evening to process the scene and gather statements. Names of the wounded officers and the man who died were not released Friday. Police said additional details would follow as detectives confirm what led to the burst of gunfire and how many rounds were fired inside the store and in the immediate area.
Officers were dispatched around 10:45 a.m. to the Edible Arrangements in the Mint Hill Commons center on Matthews-Mint Hill Road for a custody exchange. Within moments of their arrival, the man involved produced a handgun and fired at the officers, police said. Witnesses at nearby businesses watched as cruisers and ambulances converged on the storefront. “Everything happened so quickly,” said Kevin Phayme, a manager at Empire Pizza across the street, who saw wounded officers being led outside. One officer appeared bloodied as colleagues pulled him to safety, he said. The man who shot at police was pronounced dead at the scene after officers returned fire, according to authorities.
By late afternoon, crime scene technicians moved in and out of the shop, photographing counters and doorways and placing markers on the pavement outside. Police said the exchange was connected to a family matter and began as a planned custody handoff. Edible Arrangements said there was no indication any store employees were involved in the dispute. Officials did not disclose which officer was struck first, what calibers were used, or how many shots were exchanged. The department also did not say whether body-worn camera footage would be released or whether the gun used by the man had been recovered from inside the store.
Mint Hill sits about 12 miles east of uptown Charlotte, a corridor of new residential neighborhoods and strip centers where holiday shoppers filled parking lots Friday. Custody exchanges are common in the region and often arranged at public places; in this case, police were called to oversee the meet-up. Nearby workers said they had never seen a shooting at the shopping center. Mint Hill officers, like many departments in North Carolina, frequently respond to calls to stand by during family transfers, especially around weekends and holidays when schedules shift and travel peaks. The violent turn on the day after Christmas drew concern from residents who gathered behind police tape and watched stretchers move toward waiting ambulances.
As the investigation continues, detectives are interviewing the adults involved in the custody matter and reviewing store surveillance from inside the fruit-arrangement shop and neighboring businesses. The police department said updates would be provided as soon as key facts are verified. Officials did not release the ages or years of service of the wounded officers. The man who died had not been identified publicly pending notification of relatives. No charges had been filed as of Friday night; the case remains an active law enforcement investigation with evidence processing expected to continue through the weekend.
Mint Hill Police said they expect to share further information Saturday, including preliminary findings about the shots fired and the sequence of events. Any decision on releasing body-camera video typically follows an internal review and, in some cases, a petition in court under North Carolina law. If agency protocol is followed, an outside investigative unit could review the officers’ use of force and provide a report to the district attorney. Officials also indicated that the department would assess whether additional steps are needed when officers are called to custody exchanges at commercial sites. The timeline for those reviews was not immediately available.
Through the evening, the shopping center remained blocked as crews documented bullet strikes and gathered shell casings under portable lights. Business owners checked on employees and swapped security clips with officers. “They come here a lot. They’re hardworking,” Phayme said of Mint Hill police, adding that regulars from his restaurant asked for updates as word spread that the officers were stable. Hospital staff did not release condition details beyond the police statement that both officers were expected to recover.
As of late Friday, the scene was secured and evidence collection was ongoing. Police said the next formal update is expected Saturday, Dec. 27. The officers remained hospitalized in stable condition while investigators worked to determine what set off the gunfire inside the store.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.